Salmon-Safe recognizes the Port of Seattle’s work to improve Puget Sound’s water quality

The Port of Seattle’s maritime parks and public access areas have been awarded recertification by the Portland-based environmental certification nonprofit Salmon-Safe. Since 2008, the port has maintained this certification by demonstrating its commitment to protecting Puget Sound’s water quality by enhancing the ecological environment and restoring salmon habitat.

The Salmon-Safe certification is a comprehensive third-party evaluation program that involves continuous improvement with reassessment every five years. On March 20, 2019, the Salmon-Safe science team inspected site infrastructure and operations at the port’s parks and public access areas to evaluate landscape, stormwater treatment, as well as habitat restoration projects developed since the last recertification cycle in 2013.

Key actions by the port between 2013 and 2018 contributing to the Salmon-Safe recertification include updating the port’s landscape management guidelines to further reduce fertilizer use, implementing a water conservation plan, evaluating additional system-wide opportunities for stormwater treatment and habitat restoration, as well as installing stormwater treatment and habitat restoration projects on a number of port properties.